The thesis titled Museum of Knowledge: Completing the Capitol has been carried out by
the undersigned as part of the Bachelors Program in the Department of Architecture,
School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 110002, India under the supervision
of Prof. M. L. Bahri & Ar. Meena Mani (Design Guides) and Ar. Anamika Bagchi (Research
Guide).
I hereby submit two hard copies of the report for internal and external evaluation
respectively.
The undersigned hereby declares that this is her original work and has not been plagiarized,
in part or full, from any source. Furthermore, this work has not been submitted for any
degree in this or any other University.

Ramya Khare
A/24402012
Fifth Year B.Arch. Section-B
School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi

3

THESIS 2017

certificate
June 02, 2017

We certify that the Thesis titled Museum of Knowledge: Completing the Capitol by Ramya
Khare, roll no. A/2440/2017 was guided by us in January â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 2017 and placed in front
of the Jury by the candidate on 24-25th May 2017. On completion of the report in all
respects including the last chapter by the candidate and based on the declaration by
the candidate hereinabove, we forward the report to the Department to be placed in the
library of the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.

Ar. Anamika Bagchi

Prof. M. L. Bahri

Ar. Meena Mani

(Research Guide)

(Design Guide)

(Design Guide)

4

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

THESIS 2017

5

THESIS 2017

acknowledgements
The successful completion of this thesis has been one of the most challenging academic
assignments faced by me which could not have been accomplished without the support, patience
and guidance of the following people.
I begin by thanking our thesis mentors, Ar. Meena Mani & Prof. M. L. Bahri for all the nerve-wrecking
crit sessions that helped me shape the project better.
I am grateful to my Research Guide, Ar. Anamika Bagchi for always guiding my approach and being
there to fish f out a narrative from my varying sources of inspiration and Thesis Coordinator, Prof.
Jaya Kumar for guiding me throughout the program.
It can be said that I undertake the research standing on the shoulder of giants. It is thus my duty to
thank the following researchers for being my guide when I was lost in a sea of information. A special
thanks Ravi Kalia & Vikramaditya Prakash whose books on Chandigarh helped in uncovering many
narratives of the city and the Chandigarh Capitol Complex.
I am deeply indebted to my friend Arushee, who renewed my faith in the project when I most
needed it. I found inspiration in trusted friends and mentors, but also in unexpected sources. Thank
you everyone, named and unnamed, for keeping me going!
Ramya

6

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

synopsis
Museum of Knowledge or the Musee de la connaissance was a project proposed by Le Corbusier in his
place of ideation, the Chandigarh Capitol Complex. The previous proposal made by him to build the
Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Palace was rejected on grounds of being undemocratic and the due to a lack of funds this
second proposal could also never be realized.
The thesis project to be selected is to be outside the formal teaching typology and be a repository of
Knowledge to all who seek it. Studying in an independent tradition cultivates Individualism which in
turn shapes the personality of knowledge seeker.
The Museum design aims to ensure that the un-realized intellectual potential of Chandigarh is fulfilled
and a Centre of Excellence is set up, which could contribute to national and local decision making.
The primary objective of the MoK project was fulfilled by the design by providing a building which can
become a comprehensive cultural resource of the highest standard and latest technology.
The design effectively solves the security problem by allowing people to become a part of the Capitol Complex
once again without posing a danger to the high-security needs of the Goverment buildings around it. The
building thus, promotes an environment to facilitate research and exchange knowledge.

1. facts, information, and skills acquired by
a person through experience or education;
the theoretical or practical understanding of
a subject.
2. awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation.

Figure 1 Archicomic about the
history of the MoK Project
(Source: Chandigarh Urban Lab)

THESIS 2017

21

Chapter 1: The Quest for Knowledge
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now I have welcomed very greatly, one experiment... Chandigarh. Many
people argue about it, some like it, some dislike it. It is totally immaterial
whether you like it or not. It is the biggest thing in India of this kind. That is
why I welcome it. It is the biggest thing because it hits you on the head and
makes you think. You may squirm at the impact but it makes you think and
imbibe new ideas, and the one thing that India requires in so many fields
is to be hit on the head so that you may think... I do not like every building
in Chandigarh. I like some very much, I like the general conception of the
township very much but what I like above all, is this creative approach not
being tied down to what has been done by our forefathers and the like
but thinking out in new terms, trying to think in terms of light and air and
ground and water and human beings, not in terms of rules and regulations
laid down by our ancestors.â&#x20AC;? (Prakash, 2002)

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU

22

1.1

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

THESIS 2017

The Proposition

This thesis search is guided by the goal of all knowledge, that is, Intellectual
Independence. The method proposed to achieve this is the method of
Independent learning outside the systematic pedagogical traditions of Schools,
Colleges and Universities.
The thesis project to be selected is to be outside the formal teaching typology
and be a repository of Knowledge to all who seek it. Studying in an independent
tradition cultivates Individualism which in turn shapes the personality of
knowledge seeker.
Knowledge and Information are changing as we move from the Information Age
to the Networked Age. The book as a traditional source of information is housed
in a library and thousands of archived books are beings converted to digital data
and digital data is intangible in nature. People have become both consumers and
producers of Digital Information which is like a cloud that can be accessed from
anywhere. Although the internet enables and connects everyone to the internet,
in a third-world country like India, not everyone can access these digital sources of
information. This is what is termed as a Digital Divide.
This public interface of the Virtual and the Real will be freely accessible to the
public and aim to change peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perception by providing interfaces of the
virtual which the visitors can engage in. The building aims to make everyone
a participant in the Digital India being envisioned by our current government
by narrowing the Digital Divide. The building that will house such information
will be different from the traditional repository of information, i.e., Library and
has been termed as the Museum of Knowledge. The thesis seeks to provide an
immersive experience of knowledge in an exciting world of virtual information.

Figure 2 The MoK will be the physical repository of the Digital
sources of Information. (Source: Author)
This Museum of Knowledge proposes to narrow the Digital Divide by
revisiting the Library typology. The thesis project seeks to redefine the
Culture of Use of the Library in the Civic Sense. This building seeks to
develop awareness about newer Information Technology so that people
are aware how it can benefit them.

23

THESIS 2017

1.2

The Project

THE MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE
The design of the Capitol Complex was the jewel in the crown worn
by Corbusier’s Chandigarh. Being the symbol and identity of the
city for many years, the capitol complex is still incomplete, for a
fourth building, the Museum of Knowledge was planned to accompany the existing Secretariat, Assembly Hall and High Court. Originally designated as the Governor’s Palace, it did not commensurate
with Prime Minister Nehru’s idea of democracy, and therefore the

Figure 3 The two Proposals made by Corbusier regarding the
fourth building in the Capitol Complex. (Source: CUL)

THE PROPOSALS

1

Governor ’s Palace
The Governor’s Palace,
the fourth building
of the complex was
deemed unnecessary
when the Governor
refused the building of
a new residence.

2

The Museum of
Knowledge
A subsequent proposal
was made for a
MoK, a Laboraotry for
Decision-making, but
that too was never
realized.

plan was abandoned. The ‘Musée de la Connaissance’, translated as
the ‘Museum of Knowledge’ (MoK) was conceptualized then.
Corbusier envisioned the MoK as a Laboratory for Decision-Making
with books and research being carried out on Technology, Sociology,
Economics and Ethics. These were the areas of human interest that
became the focus of Corbusier’s Museum of Knowledge. Today, the
MoK needs to be a place where focused deliberations are carried
out on subjects which are related to the context of the nation.
The four major fields suggested by Le Corbusier for the Museum
of Knowledge i.e. technology, sociology, economics and ethics, are
relevant in the context of human interaction even today.

24

1.3

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

THESIS 2017

The Project Timeline

In 2015, on the 50th Death Anniversary of Corbusier, News reports announced
that the Government was considering completing the Capitol Complex. Now,
officials and administration are divided over whether the Governor’s Palace or the
Museum of Knowledge should be built at the site. (Chandigarh Administration,
2013)
Former principal of Chandigarh College of Architecture, Dr. S S Bhatti, says, “The initial
plan made by Corbusier should not have been rejected. The design for Governor’s
Palace was made well. The building could have been put to some other use instead
of housing the Governor. The design for Museum of Knowledge is a poor one. Over
the years no one really knows how to execute the design.” (Sandhu, 2015)
The idea that a building designed as a residence be built as a museum generates
incredulity. This invites further investigation into the design intent of Corbusier and
decoding what is it that the city of Chandigarh needs at the site.
Corbusier based his knowledge centre on four postulates of ethics, sociology,
economics and technology. He had proposed the use of “round books,” or mainframe
computers, as aids to decision-making in the MoK.
Today, when the internet is freely accessible, the MoK needs to become a response to
the site and its conditions. It could function as a repository of digital information and
archival sources that are not available online. It could be a highly personal emotive
experience to its visitors that makes them learn something about themselves.

Figure 4 A timeline of the history of the MoK Project. (Source: Author)

25

THESIS 2017

1. Defining the purpose of a ‘Museum of
Knowledge’ in the Chandigarh of 21st century.
The MoK, according to Corbusier was to function
as a decision-making or a briefing centre for the
government officials, highlighting the importance
and applied use of technology and electronics
in processing, synthesizing and presenting large
bodies of information related to the state matters.
Does Corbusier’s original purpose of a knowledge
museum still comply with today’s times? Or does
knowledge need to be reinterpreted and redefined
more realistically, according to the needs of the
future. Corbusier based his knowledge centre on
four postulates of ethics, sociology, economics and
technology. The proposal for the MoK needs to
interpret the function of a knowledge museum in a
way that is germane and relevant to the present and
future and helps in alleviating chaos and disorder, be
it economic, political, social, environmental, urban,
technological, demographical etc. in nature. The
proposal should conceive an extraordinary program
for the MoK that would sustain for long in the city and
strive to create utopia.

2. Contemplating the relevance of Le Corbusier’s
modern architecture today.
Considered as Le Corbusier’s most mature plastic
creations, each of the ‘edifices’ in the Capitol Complex
represented the adaptation of European Modernism,
use of 20th century materials like reinforced concrete
and brick, and his personal directive principles to
local conditions of cost, climate and technology
which gave the city a distinctly fresh image and
became a symbol for the city.

3. Intensify the democratic principles of the CCC by incorporating the civil society inside the MoK.
Corbusier designed the Capitol complex as the supreme decision-making body that worked on a participatory
formula with the edifices depicting the major functions of democracy i.e. ‘High court for judiciary’, ‘Secretariat for
administrative’ and ‘Legislative Assembly for political’. However, the system lacks the participation of the people of
knowledge i.e. researchers, philosophers, academicians, thinker s, innovators, urbanists etc. who would be advisors
and equal stakeholders in the decision-making process in order to address the needs of the future. The MoK
proposal needs to accommodate and facilitate intellectuals and to provide a conducive live working environment
for them, serving as a space for ‘creation’ of knowledge rather than just ‘exhibition’ of knowledge.

1.3.1

AIM

4. Enrich community life by injecting, activating
and rejuvenating the public space in CCC.

To design the Museum of Knowledge (MoK)
at the original site of the then proposed
MoK and Martyr’s memorial in the Capitol
complex of Chandigarh as a centre for
independent learning where people can
view and pursue knowledge.

1.3.2

OBJECTIVES

Yet, with the dawn of the 21st century and advent of
new materials and techniques of construction, evolution
of new styles and movements of architecture globally,
Corbusier-style architecture of Chandigarh is deemed
as “matchbox-like and monotonous” by many critics who
want the city to grow and rise architecturally. Architectural Historians and critics such as Witold Rybczynski, Lewis
Mumford and Jane Jacobs have been among the greatest
detractors of Le Corbusier’s Urban Design Theories. (Rybczynski, 1998) (Mumford, 1962) (Jacobs, 1961).

Envisaged as a ‘space for people’ the proposal for
the MoK should aim to serve the common people of
the city by facilitating them with demonstration and
exhibition spaces that promote learning, knowledge
and awareness among the civil society. The proposal
should also look to provide built and unbuilt spaces
both in and around the museum to promote social
interaction, communal harmony and recreation that
will eventually enrich and activate the public life in
the Capitol complex.

Rajneesh Wattas, Ex-Principal of CCA, remarks, “It is
fashionable both in the charmed circles of the City’s
elite and in academic debates to debunk Chandigarh
as a soulless city with a choking monotony of ‘matchbox
architecture’ and a chess-board, grid-iron layout of
roads - perhaps more suitable for a military cantonment
than a city.” The proposal for the MoK should be
architecturally relevant and contemporary but also
should be historically and contextually responsible,
creating a significant landmark for the ‘city of present
and future’ while respecting its other parent buildings.

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

26

1.4

THESIS 2017

The Capitol Complex

The Capital Complex which contains the High Court,

5. Tower of Shadows with the Trench of Consideration

Secretariat & Assembly building would always be an

6. Martyr’s Memorial

incomplete masterpiece for Corbusier. The Governor’s

7. The monument of the Open Hand

Palace, the fourth building of the complex was
deemed unnecessary when the Governor refused the

The Assembly Building

building of a new residence. A subsequent proposal

The Assembly building was in Corbusier’s mind a

was made to convert the building into a Museum

problem of design of two large auditoriums. He

for Knowledge but that was never realized. Even the

examined various possible auditorium arrangements in

Open Hand, the symbol that has been adopted as

plan and sections with attention to acoustics through

the symbol of Chandigarh by the government, was

various sketches as seen in figure. (Prakash,2002)

not constructed with the capital complex but was
added to it in 1985.

In about two weeks, the design had been worked out
and the design vocabulary of the Assembly was in

The actual design of the complex underwent many

concordance with the High Court. But then, Le Corbusier

changes and revisions. The Capital itself assumed

reworked the entire design. Prakash attributes this

an enclosed position rather than being the visible

change to the Corbusier’s fascination with the bull in

head of the city. The early sketches show Corbusier

his Taureaux paintings. Many of Corbusier’s sketches in

experimenting with different kinds of positioning in

India include the image of the Bull. (Prakash, 2002)

Photo 1 Assembly Building. (Source: Author)

trying to describe the relationship between the four
main buildings of the Complex.

The final design for the Assembly emerged two years
after that. It had a tower in the shape of a hyperbolic

Figure 5 A timeline of the history of the MoK Project. (Source: Corbusier, 1957)

28

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

The Secretariat Building

The High Court Building

The Secretariat building too underwent changes but

The High Court employs the concept of parasol, a

due to other regions. Initially, Corbusier thought of the

large overhanging roof cantilevered out of the office

Secretariat Building as a towering skyscraper. But this

block shades the lower roof. The High court was

was scraped by the city bureaucrats. The Secretariat

called the Palace of Justice by Corbusier and was

then became a 254-metre-long, horizontal building

meant to symbolize the majesty, shelter & fear of the

which has eight stories and is 42 meters high and

law through its structure.

THESIS 2017

is the largest of the three completed administrative
buildings in the complex. The elevation of the

Also, one can observe a symmetry in the plan & the

building has been carefully constructed to ensure

elevation of the High Court. By removing the arches

natural lighting and ventilation. The building is

from the elevation, one can see that the bays of the

flanked by two ramps which looks like a sculpture

courtroom, with their entrance portal and supporting

in the composition of the building and provides

corridor, are mirrored in the elevation.

Photo 4 High Court Building. (Source: Flickr.com)

a play of projections, recesses, circulation elements

Thus, one discovers that the High Court spins about

and multi-level interior spaces which acts as a sun-

an axis and gives rise to a symmetrical composition.

breaks (brise-soleils) to reduce the solar gain.

Corbusier envisaged the Capitol Complex as a
plaza onto which the car could also come and the
proportions for the Complex are devised based on
that. The roofs of the buildings were imagined as
concrete gardens populated by the people working
in the building. Corbusier designed for visual
interactions between people on ground and on the
roof.
Corbusierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s narrative for each building and the entire
complex seems harmonious in its design. When
one building dominates, the other recedes into the
background. The complex play of the buildings can

Photo 3 Secretaritat Building.
(Source: Flickr.com)

be compared to actors in a drama. They do justice to
their part & the drama is staged perfectly.

Figure 6 Diagram showing symmetry in the
plan and elevation of High Court.
(Source: Pinterest.com

vertical circulation throughout the building. It is thus

29

THESIS 2017

1.5

Need for the Project

The Capitol Complex was envisaged as the head of the

Recently, guided tours of the Capitol Complex were

Urban Plan of Chandigarh city by the master planner Le

made a norm. Only 3 times have been finalized by

Corbusier. Today, we see that the complex has become

the Chandigarh Government for visits i.e. 10 am to 12

a decapitated head of sorts. CCC boasts open green

pm, 12 pm to 2 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm. Visitors can

spaces, monumental buildings and a direct view of the

choose a time slot according to their preference. A

Himalaya Mountains. Currently restricted to the public,

group of not more than 25 people is allowed.

the complex is an amenity waiting to be engaged by
the community. The Geometric Hill, Tower of Shadows

Each

and Open Hand are abandoned elements that have

personnel,

been over grown by bushes and trees. Politicians who

enlighten the tourists about the architectural design

use the space drive from one building to another. The

of the buildings in Capitol Complex that comprises

park space and plazas remain vacant while any activity

the Secretariat, Punjab and Haryana Vidhan Sabhas,

on the site occurs in the parking lot behind the High

Punjab and Haryana High Court, OHM, and the Tower

Court. A vast urban plaza that should be filled with a

of Shadow, a demonstration of Chandigarh’s founder

multitude of people is dotted by people whose number

architect Le Corbusier’s theories of sun control. Other

is in the double digits. The plaza, is a high-profile security

than the OHM, there are no functions in the Capitol

zone which alienates the public who can be perceived

Complex that invite people from all walks of life. Thus,

as a threat. Thus, the citizen of Chandigarh remains a

the MoK presents a unique opportunity to make the

stranger to the Capitol Complex.

Capitol Complex more inclusive towards public.

The Open Hand Monument (OHM) was designed to

Since the nature of the other buildings in the Capitol

hold discussions among the city’s residents. Corbusier

Complex is of an official government use, the Capitol

envisaged that it would be a place for city residents

Complex Plaza assumes the character of a high-

to exchange ideas. The Contemplation Pit near the

security zone. One must be careful as to not disrupt

monument, was designed with the theme, ‘Open

the smooth functioning of the Assembly, High Court

to give, open to receive;’ but the channels of this

& the Secretariat. It is a fine line that has to be tread

exchange were closed as the public couldn’t access

in providing a solution to the urban issue of exclusive

the monument. Public access has been restored to the

space in a sensitive manner.

OHM and citizens can now visit the space.

Photo 5 Security at the CCC. (Source: Archasm)

group

will

besides

be
a

accompanied
tourism

by

guide,

security

who

will

30

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

THESIS 2017

The way forward
RESEARCH & CASE STUDIES
In the next chapter, we delineate our research
topics and look at case studies that inform our
design.

PROGRAM GENERATION
By studying the Site, Program & Technology,
we generate the program for our Museum of
Knowledge.

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
By

overlapping

our

design

concept

with

the information acquired in the preceeding
chapters, we are ready to translate our design
for the MoK.

THESIS 2017

31

Figure 7 Archicomic about the Geometry
in the layout of the Capitol Complex.
(Source: Chandigarh Urban Lab)

Chapter 2: The Path of Knowledge
“India is an ancient land. Over the
centuries there have been other new
cities like Chandigarh and other prophets
like Le Corbusier: Fatehpur-Sikri, Patrick
Geddes, Edwin Lutyens, Golconda, Mandu.
Today many of them are not perceived as
foreign elements but as integral parts of
the Indian landscape.
India as a blotting paper. Who knows?
A hundred years from now, perhaps
Chandigarh will also fit seamlessly into
the Punjabi ethos; perhaps it will be
perceived as a famous old Indian town,
and Le Corbusier will be acknowledged ...
as the greatest Indian architect of them
all?”
-CHARLES CORREA
“Chandigarh: The View from Benares.”

32

2.0

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

Areas of Research

The key areas of research
arising from the theoretical
proposition and site-specific
nature of the project are as
follows:

1. MUSEOLOGICAL NARRATIVE
A research on the construction of meaning in the museum setting involving the study of the
following:
2.1.1. Narrative and Syntactic Models
2.1.2. Narrative & Technology

2. UNDERSTANDING CORBUSIER: A COURSE IN MODERNISM

The following Ideologies championed by Le Corbusier are studied:
2.2.1 About Le Corbusier
2.2.2 Ideologies of Le Corbusier
2.2.3 Analysis of Capitol Complex
2.2.4 Analysis of Narrative in Corbusierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Design using Space syntax.

A theoretical as well as practical key issue in the design of art museum and galleries is how the
layout of space interacts with the layout of objects to realise a specific effect, express the
intended message or create a richer spatial structure. To fully understand this interaction entails
answering three critical questions: Does the spatial design makes a difference, and if so, what
kind of difference? How does it relate to the curatorial intent? What dimensions of our experience
of museums are determined by the way galleries and objects are organized spatially?

2.1.1 NARRATIVE AND SYNTACTIC MODELS
Narrative or storyline has become a central subject in the vast universe of museum
literature. Fiona Romeo, Director of Digital Content & Strategy at MoMA as quoted in an
interview described exhibitions as, “more of a dance than a sequential experience”
(Cornish, 2013) Narrative can be thought of as the choreography of this dance. This
section aims to look at narrative from a visitor-centered perspective to explore what cues
can architects designing the space derive out of it by providing insights into how visitors
perceive and navigate museum spaces in general.
i.
ii.
iii.

Types of Layouts in conjunction with educational theories:
Sequential Layout – Beginning/middle/ end – DIDACTIC model of education
Exploratory – allows exploration with possibilities of reverting back and forth between the
spaces – DISCOVERY model of learning
Constructivist – many entry paths, no specific path and no beginning and no end - the
majority tends to create their own exploratory routes, missing out elements, and so
'creating their own constructivist layouts' (Black, 2005)

Tzortzi heralds a shift in the museology
with the ‘new museology’ with a
constructivist approach developing
further in the in the last two decades of
the
twentieth
century.
This
constructivist approach is in complete
contrast with the linear displays and
the strong evolutionary narrative.
(Tzortzi, 2011). But both models have
their significant advantages and
disadvantages as we will examine with
diagrammatic examples.
Stories with a clear beginning, middle,
and end may lend themselves to a linear
structure. Others might suggest a more
organic spiral or possibly a hub-andspoke structure: a theme having
several
subthemes
that
could
potentially be approached in any order.
(Stenglin, 2009).

34

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

An interesting concept in narrativity is
the notion of the script suggested by
Duncan and Wallach (1980) positing
that the museum, through its
architecture, its layout of spaces, and
arrangement of displays, provides a
programmed experience, resembling a
ritual process, which is performed by
visitors through movement. The
museum's larger narrative structure
stands as a frame and gives meaning
to individual works' (Duncan, 1995)
Duncan's concept of script is
forwarded by Noordegraaf in his work
where he describes museums as 'the
product of both its designers and its
users', and that visitors with their
viewing habits, have an active role in
shaping the museum space and can
even cause layout changes, the
'revision of the script'. (Noordegraaf,
2004)
The gist of his work is delineating the
distinction between 3 types of script in
the twentieth century museum:

i.
ii.
iii.

THESIS 2017

the 'Visitor-Orientated Museum Script' in the early twentieth century, when the
museum was seen as instrument for educating the public;
the 'Invisible Script', that aimed at making visitors forget the mediating role of museum
presentation; and,
the 'hybrid museum script' that lacks an overall model, either in terms of spatial and
display layout, or is characterized by combination and co-existence of different modes
of presentation.
Thus, space becomes the common point of reference between museology and
architecture, and to show that through the way the museum building organizes space,
it constructs a set of relationships among galleries, determining the way they are
explored and used, among objects, affecting the way they are perceived and read, and
among visitors, creating possibilities for co-presence and encounter -a key dimension
of the way we experience museums.
For example, galleries placed in different locations in the layout could spatially translate
into corner galleries, or galleries at the end of sequences, or galleries that offer route
choices. Similarly, the structure of spaces and visual axes should be designed as per
design intent to intersect spatial interactivity with the technological interactivity in
museums today.
One way of characterising different types of exhibition space is through space syntax
(Hillier and Tzortzi, 2011), which defines spaces by the way they relate to one another.
Intersecting Museological ideas of Space with Space Syntax allows us to analyse the
role of movement in the production of meaning and the communication of knowledge,
and make the link between sequences and choices in the layout and different forms of
learning.

35

THESIS 2017

The two fundamental concepts employed in Space Syntax are
i.
Integration – a measure examining the number of spaces that must be traversed in order to reach all other spaces,
ii.
Connectivity – a measure of the number of spaces directly connected to any given space. (Forrest, 2014)
Regan Forrest in his article in the Spring ’14 issue of Exhibitionist, “Exhibition Narrative: The Spatial Parameters illustrates
the following three arrangements to explain the two concepts. In the diagrams, each circle represents a room, and the
lines denote routes of access.
BEADS ON A STRING – This arrangement though easy to navigate becomes restrictive in terms of choice of route.
i.
Low Integration - Inevitability in layout - All spaces must be passed through to travel with no short-cut route;
ii.
Moderate Connectivity + No Dead Ends
- No highly-connected nodes

Figure 8 “Beads on a string”
arrangement of galleries.
(Source: Adapted from Hillier
and Tzortzi, 2011.)

GRID ARRANGEMENT – This arrangement allows flexibility in navigation
but might be perceived as confusing by the visitor.
High Integration – Rooms with access through either one or two rooms;
i.
ii.
Higher Connectivity +Multiply-connected nodes
+Choice given to visitor with alternative routes
INTEGRATED SPINE – This arrangement has a highly integrated
navigational spine from which other spaces radiate. It involves the Figure 9 “Grid” arrangement of galleries.
(Source: Adapted from Hillier and Tzortzi,
creation of Integrated Routes which become the museum’s traffic areas
in form of the main atrium or corridor. This model effectively employs a 2011.)
hierarchy of connectivity with spaces having:
i. Low Integration & Low Connectivity – These become the intimate spaces with the possibility of being missed.
ii. High Connectivity – These are the Multiply-connected nodes which offer choice and possibility of exploration but
can again become confusing in the absence of hierarchical interpretive signage.
Research by psychologists analysing visitor movement patterns indicate that visitor movement is neither completely
unpredictable not totally chaotic, but rather there are distinct patterns in visitor movement and behaviour which is
analogous to the sequential dance analogy presented earlier. (Forrest, 2014)

2.1.2 NARRATIVE & TECHNOLOGY
Since the program for the Museum of
Knowledge is highly influenced by digital
technologies and forms of representation it is
worth investigating how the quality of the
space and the visitor experience is affected
when
the
museum
presents
artistic
installations that use new technology. There is
a need to think of new technology as a
narrative that changes the social context in the
museum.
Digital media makes a considerable impact
upon discussion about the shifting functions of
the museum through its potential to create
simulations and virtual representations of
objects and artefacts, its ability to create
avenues to archived information, and through
its capacity to enable links between collections
and exterior networks.
The artwork exhibited in the Museum would be
what is commonly referred to as New Media.
The term ‘New media’ most commonly refers to
content available on-demand through the
Internet, accessible on any digital device,
usually containing interactive user feedback
and creative participation. Common examples
of new media include websites such as online
newspapers, blogs, wikis, video games and
social media. The development of interactive
artwork, as a particular aspect of new media,
has focused on the importance of the
relationship between the viewer and the work
itself. In this context, the emphasis shifts from
the notion of the audience as passive receiver

to that of the audience as active participant,
user or co-creator.
Yet despite some of the extreme complexities
of the discussion and analysis of various artists’
work, there is not a strong base of audience
studies in new media. Recent museum
exhibitions in London have provided several
examples of the way that the context of the
museum can confront the effect of New Media
artworks, and how the artworks can impact
upon the experience of the audiences. These
exhibitions have ranged from permanent
installations to temporary installations in
spaces; and from self-contained exhibitions of
digital media to works integrated into
collections.
In 2008 the Science Museum, London, installed
as a ‘special exhibition’ the artwork, Listening
Post, by artists Mark Hansen and Ben Rubin.
Listening Post is based on computer programs
that collect, sample, process and analyse
thousands of public online conversations in live
time. These are then sorted and filtered to
become the raw material for the artwork, and
are presented within a series of different
‘movements’, and given visual form as words
flickering across a wall-sized bank of small
screens, and interpreted as sound through a
computer-generated voice and a responsive
audio soundtrack.
Maybe in considering how audiences
respond to New Media artworks, the two
aspects of play and spectacle, identified in

the previous examples, need to be seen in
relation to each other. Interactive
technologies in museums are often studied
for their capacity to facilitate informal
learning and because of the way that the
involved visitor can experience a number of
different forms of engagement which can
be
speculative,
collaborative
and
investigative.
These deliberations point towards the
need for varied approaches to surveying
the experience of the visitor, and how
technology might not only empower the
museum but may also invigorate the way
the visitor has a role within it.
Understanding the conditions that new
media creates, what is unique and what
complications it evokes, are issues that
need to be continually examined – as the
use of technology changes.

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THESIS 2017

2.2

Understanding Corbusier: A COURSE IN MODERNISM

2.2.1. ABOUT LE CORBUSIER
Trevor Barnes in his book Writing Worlds, while establishing the basic premise for understanding
any representation, (in this case, space & built environment) says, “to understand each of the
representations fully we must know something about the context of its authors and audience”
(Barnes, 1992). Corbusier was born in Switzerland and was of a Swiss/ French nationality. An
architect, engineer, urbanist and writer by profession, he is regarded as one of the pioneers of
what is now called modern architecture. His career spanned five decades with buildings
constructed throughout Europe, India and America. Let us few of his most influential ideologies
that went on to shape the basic tenets of Modernism.

2.2.2. IDEOLOGIES OF LE CORBUSIER
•

FIVE POINTS OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE
Le Corbusier formulated these five points in 1926; which were:
1. Pilotis
Pilotis are a construction method of erecting buildings that elevates the mass off the ground. Le
Corbusier had penchant for organizing pilotis in a grid, what added order to the buildings. The
architect was under a deep impression of classic architecture, especially Parthenon and Villa
Rotonda. The grid was a mean to bring these classic qualities to his modern designs.

2. Free Plan
Free plan was the consequence of concrete frame construction. The plan is no longer limited
by construction and its design becomes free also. In effect, many important figures of
modernism movement came up with idea of ‘open plan’ (Frank Lloyd Wright) or continuity of
space (Mies van der Rohe), which assumed that architecture is at its best doesn’t divide
space, but rather allows space to flow among different abstract compositions of volumes and
planes.
Le Corbusier called this idea ‘promenade architecturale,’ and an important feature of this
concept was building alongside staircase, a ramp. After all, he claimed that the ramp is
something that links the floors, while staircase divides it.
3. Free Facade
Free facade was a consequence of construction as well. Because walls were then deprived of
their constructional role, their design became free as well.

4. Strip Windows
Horizontal windows or ribbon windows are the effect of free facade.
Firstly, they give access to a substantial amount of light, which can
evenly light the interior. Secondly, it also effectively frames the view
outside, bringing the outside inside;

•

THESIS 2017

5. Roof Garden
They were a means of bringing nature to houses: the roof garden,
restoring, supposedly, the area of ground covered by the house.

CIAM PRINCIPLES –
Chandigarh was planned by Le Corbusier as a CIAM (Congrès International d’Architecture Moderne)
city. The CIAM was a group of architects and urban planners who formulated rules for an ideal city
for the modern age in the so-called Athens Charter. In brief, the CIAM city divided human functions
into work, living and leisure, and the city in its strict zoning of functions was to reflect this division of
human life into cycles.
At the time, the CIAM charter was designed to rid cities of the post-Industrial Revolution
overcrowding and inhuman conditions which had characterized many European and American cities
of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The CIAM city called for ample space, light and green areas,
and stressed on the need to lead a dignified human existence. That the modern age also meant a
new moral order was implicit in the CIAM charter, as well as the fact that architecture and urbanism
could be the tools by which this new order could be brought about.
In its egalitarianism, the CIAM city responded well to the needs of a new capital city of modern India
and dovetailed neatly with the founding principles liberty and equality of the new republic.
Chandigarh answered to two agendas: CIAM on the one hand and the new India on the other, and
was supposed to represent the best of both.

•

MODULOR –
Le Corbusier’s fascination with architectural proportion would most immediately be associated with
his own concept of the Modular.
The Modular is itself partly an evolution of such systems, including the Golden Section. Many of his
buildings and paintings are underlain by hidden grids and geometric patterns, betraying the fact that
so much of Le Corbusier’s work is rooted in his understanding and appreciation of ancient practices.
Figure 12 The Modulor
(Source: Pinterest.com)

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THESIS 2017

2.2.3 ANALYSIS OF CAPITOL COMPLEX
Le Corbusier liked to compare the city he planned to biological entity: the head was the capitol; the city center
was heart and work areas of the institutional are and university were limbs.
The Capitol Complex was designed to have a Monumental Approach through the Jan Marg. It symbolically
becomes the head of the city. The ceremonial approach to capitol complex was projected as a wide tree
lined boulevard, bounded on one side by parkland and on the other side by multi storey buildings.
The Central Plaza of the Complex was to give expression to the expanse of space and was conceived as the
crossing of two axes. One leading from High Court to the Assembly. The second one from the city centre to
the Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Palace. The axis from the city centre towards the governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s palace was supposed to
terminate in an excavated trench, to conceal it and maintain the continuity of piazza and landscape.
Figure

The enormous distance between the buildings is quite astonishing element emphasizing the monumentality
of the Capitol Plaza. The vast expanse of space covered in concrete reflects a lot of light leading to a vast
amount of glare to the visitors in the Capitol Complex.

Thus, the Modulor becomes a vital geometry for the monumental landscape. Conceptually, it weaves the fabric of built and inbuilt together in the
complex. It also is a major determinant in the positioning of the buildings superimposing the modular man. The Symbolic overlapping takes place in the
following manner:

CAPITOL COMPLEX â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DESIGNED VS. AS- BUILT
UNBUILT ELEMENTS
Several Elements of the Capitol Complex remain unbuilt to this
date which alters the spatial effects conceptualised and
designed by Corbusier
The absence of the Governor's Palace/ Museum of Knowledge,
deprives the composition of the focus of the cross axis. The
Palace, by its placement to the left of the initial approach to the
complex, was intended to create a focal point deflecting the line
of vision moving past it to the horizontal, standing as a sculptural
object against the mountains. The incomplete composition
makes the distances appear larger.
Several pathways have not yet been constructed which if built
may help in unifying the site. A canal was designed to function as
an isolating element of the capitol that was never built either.
UNPLANNED ADDITIONS
The site has seen additions of all scales. From deviations in the
Capitol Plaza outline to the design of extensions like the High
Court Extension. It is essential for such interventions to respond
Figure 17 Plan of CCC with a layer comparing the designed and as-built elements.
to the basics of the Le Corbusierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s composition for order.
(Source: CUL)

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THESIS 2017

2.2.4. ANALYSIS OF NARRATIVE IN CORBUSIER’S
DESIGN
Corbusier’s initial proposal on the site was for the Governor’s Palace.
An analysis of the Governor’s Palace is essential to fully understand
Corbusier’s narrative for the fourth building in his magnum opus, the
Capitol Complex.
The narrative of the Governor’s Palace essentially morphed into the
narrative for the MoK. The elaborate landscaping, the approach to
the complex from the central esplanade remain virtually unchanged.
So, the analysis of the narrative for the Governor’s Palace becomes
the first step in analysing Corbusier’s vision.

NARRATIVE OF THE GOVERNOR’S PALACE - 1952
The pyramidal mass of the Governor’s Palace was to be placed at
the apex of the capital city of Chandigarh, directly against the
silhouette of the Himalayas presenting the palace as the “crown of
the capital” (Corbusier, 1957) By placing it at the head of the
Complex, Corbusier delineated its
function as the symbolic head of the
city. “Its position at the edge of
Chandigarh was intended, like the
Egyptian pyramids, to define the
boundary between civilization and
nature.” (Gorlin, 1980)
The ramp of the Monument to the Figure 18 Governor’s Palace, Chandigarh. Le Corbusier, 1950-1951. (Source: AGA)
Martyrs is in front. Two levels of gardens and water pools face the palace. Pedestrians enter along the shifting series of
squares in the center, automobiles enter along the straight road to the right.
The theme of the city as body, the capitol as head, and the palace as crown is further articulated in the actual plan by
three pairs of axes, with water mediating between each set (fig. 19). A canal divides the axis linking the city and capitol,
pools separate the capitol from the palace, and within the building itself an elevated water trough to catch the monsoon
rains detaches the rectilinear base from the hovering curve of the viewing platform (barsati).
Figure 19 The axis leading from City Centre to the GP.
(Source: AGA)

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

44

The design of the GP and its landscaped garden presents a harmonious interaction
between the architecture and the landscape. (Corbusier, 1957) The design exploits the
possibility of using reflections from water and rearranging pools at different levels to
preserve the relationships between the principal plaza and the Palace.
Connected by footbridge to the palace is the plaza and sculpture of the Open Hand. Its
path of approach virtually mirrors that of the Governor’s Palace, although in conception
they are reversed (see fig. 20); the path to the palace is conceptually solid while the
path to the Open Hand is a recessed void.

THESIS 2017

Figure 20 Diagram of the
relationship

between

the

Governor’s Palace to the left
and the Monument to the
Open Hand to the right. Note
the similarity of form in the
locking L’s and the conceptual

The palace is situated at the end of an enclosed precinct of multi-level
gardens and pools (see fig. 2). This seemingly ancient forecourt of giant
ramps, stairs, and obelisks rising from the water belies its modern
articulation. The original sketches show a static, symmetrical approach
to the palace, while in the final design the axis is broken, creating a
shifting series of plazas before the palace. The garden is framed in plan
by two interlocking L’s, a form derived from the rotation of the arms of
a spiral (see fig. 21).
Figure 21 Conceptual derivation of the

The pedestrian ascends the Martyr’s Ramp to find the distant palace
garden plan from the pinwheel form.
visually thrust forward. The garden levels fall away in shearing blocks
as the reflecting pools double their height, creating a foreground and (Source: AGA)
plinth for the palace, which enforces the image of a temple on an
acropolis (see fig. 22).
Descending the spiral ramp, a counter-spiral activates the procession
Figure 22 A sketch showing the to the palace. The collapsed arms of the spiral compress its
centripetal force into a dynamic push pull effected by the pressing
relationship of GP and Landscape. forward of the pools against their static frames (fig. 23).
(S

P k

h 2002)

As the three plazas shift to the left, the palace oscillates between two obelisks, a cylinder, and a pyramid,
shifting the eye to the mountains and the Open Hand monument to the right. Finally, the dense symmetrical
mass of the palace wrenches the eye to the center, to settle on the curve of the barsati, an elevated valley
framing the Himalayas.

Figure 23 Approach to the GP.

Ironically, the mighty design proved its own undoing, as the building was deemed a palace for giants and (Source: Prakash, 2002)
the governor chose to live in town and the palace was not built.

45

THESIS 2017

NARRATIVE OF MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE (MUSEE’ DE LA CONNASSAINCE)
Le Corbusier’s late interest in electronics and high
technology (Gorkin, 1980) led him to to propose the
Museum of Knowledge when the plan for the Governor’s
Palace was rejected. The design for the MoK did not
have the presence that the design for Governor’s
Palace did. Vikramaditya Prakash explains; “After 1952,
the Assembly with its dominating paraboloid became the
center of the Capitol, as assertive as the High Court was
subtle (plate 14). This is, I am sure, the reason why Le
Corbusier designed the Museum of Knowledge that was to
replace the Governor's Palace as an ordinary box, of no
special visual significance-it had to be understated so
that it did not compete with the new dominance of the Figure 24 Second Floor Plan. MoK.
Assembly, which gathered the Capitol all around it. It would (Source: Corbusier, 1957)
therefore be a mistake to go back and construct the
Governor's Palace in its place now.” (Prakash, 2002)
The Museum of Knowledge was proposed as an electronic information center. It housed four distinct
laboratories which translated into the four open bays in which continually mobile installations make it possible
to carry out the specific programmes of each one ofthe four laboratories. These four laboratories are each
devoted to a special field: technical, economic, sociological, ethical.
Each one of the four laboratories have its projects materialized (electronic recording) via the general centre
which occupies the entire basement level of the palace.

Figure 25 Exploded 3D of the MoK.
(Source: CUL)

The building program is divided into
two parts - storage of knowledge
and access to knowledge. There are
two distinct languages within the
building. The access to knowledge is
represented as an interconnected
public space and the knowledge
store is a contained box.
Figure 26 Analysed Plans of the MoK. (Source: CUL)

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MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

THESIS 2017

The Museum of Knowledge features the Corbusian Grid and certain main external
features such as the two brise- soleil facades and the ramp.
This dialogue between traditional deep space and modern-ist shallow space is evident
on the facade of the Museum of Knowledge, designed to occupy the site of the Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Palace after the palace was rejected (figs. 28). Here the actual frontal plane; the cube is
countered by the arrangement of the stair screens (See fig 30,31) into a triangle of implied
depth, while on the rear facade is an inverted triangle.
Figure 27 Front & rear of the MoK Model. (Source: AGA)

An elevated water trough to catch the monsoon rains detaches the
rectilinear base from the hovering curve of the viewing platform (barsati).
(See fig 29) The crescent shaped distinctive element of the GP is
retained, albeit rotated. So, the crescent that welcomed the visitors
points in the direction opposite to the entrance and the incline
suggestive of the flow of knowledge or could be read as their aspiration
for growth.

2.3.1 STUDY OF EPISTEMOLOGY
Knowledge is a familiarity, awareness or understanding of someone or something, such as facts, information, descriptions, or skills, which is acquired
through experience or education by perceiving, discovering, or learning. The study of Knowledge in Philosophy is called Epistemology. The most common
definition of knowledge established in Epistemolgy was given by Plato who defined Knowledge as Justified True Belief. But this has since been discarded
since Edmund Gettier in 1963 wrote a paper which posed a set of scenarios known as the Gettier Cases where a person can have justified true belief
but not Knowledge.
Two types of knowledge are usually defined, namely explicit and
tacit knowledge. The former, Explicit Knowledge, refers to codified
knowledge, such as that found in documents, while the latter, Tacit
Knowledge, refers to non-codified and often personal/experiencebased knowledge.
In practice, all knowledge is a mixture of tacit and explicit elements
rather than being one or the other. However, in order to understand
knowledge, it is important to define these theoretical opposites.
Spatially, Explicit Knowledge needs to be stored and accessed in
defined spaces such as Libraries, Information Centres etc.
Whereas to gain Tacit Knowledge, one needs a facility to share
knowledge (in the form of Conference Facilities), practice
knowledge (Workshops, Research & Development Laboratories
etc.) and generate knowledge through experience and practice.

Figure 31 Types of Knowledge (Source: Author)

48

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

2.3.2 VISUAL TAXONOMY OF KNOWLEDGE
Since a very long time, there was a belief in the natural ranking of things and a strict order around us. The visual model adopted to convey this hierarchy
was of trees. The branching scheme of the tree was, in fact, such a powerful metaphor for conveying information that it became, over time, an important
communication tool to map a variety of systems of knowledge. Trees began to be used to map everything from morality to Genalogy (Family Tress.) And
trees ultimately became such a powerful visual metaphor because in many ways, they really embody this human desire for order, for balance, for unity,
for symmetry.
Data Visualization Designer Manuel Lima points out in his TED Talk, A visual history of human knowledge, how the visual language of depicting Knowledge
is changing from the top-down model (depicted by trees) to the method of network that embodies the notions of decentralization, of
interconnectedness, of interdependence.
However, nowadays we are really facing new complex, intricate challenges that cannot be understood by simply employing a simple tree diagram. And
a new metaphor is currently emerging, and it's currently replacing the tree in visualizing various systems of knowledge. It's really providing us with a new
lens to understand the world around us. And this new metaphor is the metaphor of the network. And we can see this shift from trees into networks in
many domains of knowledge.
The main reason for this shift can be the Internet and the IT revolution that has
changed the way that we gain, share, practice and map knowledge in multi-farious
ways.
He posits that, “it’s almost becoming a growing visual taxonomy. It's almost becoming
the syntax of a new language.”
Here’s a representation of knowledge transfer, this time within the Seattle Public
Library. The visual shows renting patterns, based on the Dewey Decimal classification
system beloved by librarians everywhere. The bigger the circle, the more
people borrowing books or media in that category. Information today is best
understood and consumed in the form of networks. The design for the MoK should
respond to this visual typology of networks.

2.3.3 SYNTHESIS OF NARRATIVE FOR MOK
MoK is a place for the citizens of Chandigarh that gives them a space to pursue Knowledge and receive knowledge in return, thus exemplifying the
message of the open hand “open to give, open to receive.” The Museum of Knowledge would be an alternative learning center offeringindependent
learning facilities towards the goal of Intellectual Independence.
The MoK can function as an organisation of its own that offers its facilities to its members and displays the work of artists, researchers and in house
talent. Such models exist and function exrelely well, in addition to being a resource center for the community.
For example, in Ladakh, The Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation (LAMO) is a public charitable trust established to articulate an alternative vision for
the arts and media in Ladakh. The organization set up the LAMO Centre in Leh, the main town of the region, to provide a space for the understanding
and development of the arts. The LAMO Centre has spaces like galleries, offices, a library and reading room, screening room, conference room, and
open-air performance site. The Centre also conducts outreach programs, lectures, film screenings, research and documentation projects, workshops
and exhibitions that showcase Ladakh’s material and visual culture, performing arts and literature.
In the MoK, the various activities can be categorized as one
of the following:
Pursuing Knowledge
Gaining Knowledge
Displaying Knowledge
Sharing Knowledge
Practicing Knowledge
Together they form a cyclic process that must keep turning
for these are the wheels of progress.

Figure 33 The Knowledge Wheel
Source: Author)







50

2.4

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

THESIS 2017

Building Technologies in Concrete
2.4.1 INNOVATIONS IN CONCRETE: PRE- STRESSED/ POST TENSIONED CONCRETE
Pre-stressed Concrete is a method for overcoming concrete’s natural weakness in
tension. It can be used to produce beams, floors or bridges with a longer span than
is practical with ordinary reinforced concrete.
The method involves using high tensile strength steel alloys producing permanent
pre-compression in areas subjected to Tension. A portion of tensile stress is
counteracted thereby reducing the cross-sectional area of the steel
reinforcement. Reinforcing tendons are stretched by jacks whilst keeping them
inserted in voids left pre-hand during curing of concrete.
These spaces are then pumped full of grout to bond steel tightly to the concrete.
For pre-stressed beams, the thumb rule for beam depth is S/21 to S/18,
with ‘S’ being the span of the beam. For a large span structure of about 30mts, the
beam depth would turn out to be about 1.5 mts, which consumes a lot of space.
ADVANTAGES
 Post-tensioning allows longer clear spans, thinner slabs, fewer beams and
more slender, dramatic elements.
 Thinner slabs mean less concrete is required. It means a lower overall
building height for the same floor-to-floor height.
 Post-tensioning can thus allow a significant reduction in building weight vs.
a conventional concrete building with the same number of floors reducing
the foundation load and be a major advantage in seismic areas.
 A lower building height can also translate to considerable savings in
mechanical systems and façade costs.
 Another advantage of post-tensioning is that beams and slabs can be
continuous, i.e. a single beam can run continuously from one end of the
building to the other.
 Reduces occurrence of cracks.
 Freezing & thawing durability is higher than non-prestressed concrete.

Figure 35 New ways in which concrete is being used
(Source: Slideshare.com)

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THESIS 2017

2.4.2 DOM- INO SYSTEM: ARCHITECTURE WITHOUT WALLS
Dom-Ino System is the structural system based on the Dom-Ino House
prototype consisting of horizontal slabs and pilotis that reduced the
building to its minimum.
It is an open floor plan structure designed by noted architect Le
Corbusier in 1914–1915. It was a design idea to manufacture in series that
combines the order he discovered in classical architecture on which he
based the modular.
The architecture of the system looks like architecture stripped bare.
The system – an acronym that combined domus and innovation – never saw
production but became an emblematic project of twentieth-century
architecture and a precursor to one of the most widespread building
systems: the concrete structural frame. Today, however, Dom-ino looms
as a representation of our slum-like megalopolis, illustrating the
industrialisation of housing construction and the vernacular appropriation
of itself as a generic model. Placed within its contemporary urban
condition, this report ponders upon the enduring relevance of Dom-ino.

This model proposed an open floor plan consisting of concrete slabs supported by a minimal number of thin, reinforced concrete columns around the edges,
with a stairway providing access to each level on one side of the floor plan. The frame was to be completely independent of the floor plans of the houses
thus giving freedom to design the interior configuration. The model eliminated load-bearing walls and the supporting beams for the ceiling. This model is still
prevalent as a highly customizable repeating module.

Figure 37 The PUU-BO system by BIG Architects inspired by DOM-INO.
(Source: Architectour.net)

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MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

THESIS 2017

BIG’s E2 proposal combines a variety of housing typologies – from 8-story apartment
buildings to low townhouses with a shared courtyard space. Along both sides of the
building a pedestrian path connects the private gardens to parking and park. The
path blends with the existing network, integrating the building with the park, river and
city. Playgrounds, sports fields, and a community sauna in the river are strategically
placed in order to activate the site. All activities are available to both the PUUBO inhabitants as well as the citizens of Kouvola.
FROM CONCRETE TO WOOD
Corbusier DOMI-NO system was developed to industrialize construction with the
new technologies of concrete structures, and bring qualitative space to the masses.
The PUU-BO building system aims to build new sustainable structures of wood. and
Figure 38 The combination of the PUU-BO modules
address the growing demand for energy efficient, low carbon structures.
(Source Architectour.net):

BIG won the competition in collaboration with Pirmin Jung Engineers for Wood
Constructions, AOA Anttinen Oiva Architects, Vahanen Engineers and Stora Enso.
This proves relevance of the DOM-INO system prevails as it is still being adapted
directly and indirectly in designs.

Figure 39 Different building typologies that can be achieved by PUU-BO.
(Source: Architectour.net)

2.4.3 SHEAR WALLS: ARCHITECTURE WITHOUT COLUMNS
The columns can also impede free flow of space. It provides a rigid
framework but that itself can be limiting when dealing with large
spaces. The following building eliminated interior columns by proving
shear walls. It is worth looking into the structure of the building.
Case Example:
ABEDIAN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Architects: CRAB Studio
Location: Queensland, Australia
Design Team: Peter Cook and Gavin Robotham
Client: Bond University
Area: 2500.0 sqm

Figure 41 Abedian School of Architecture under construction.
(Source: Archdaily.com)

Year: 2013
The Abedian School of Architecture is located on the campus
designed in the 1980s by Arata Isozaki. It forms part of the Faculty of
Architecture and Sustainable Design. Winning the competition in
January 2011, CRAB was awarded the contract and the building was
completed in 2013.
The Abedian School of Architecture's building is a long, airy loft on two
to three levels articulated by a series of "scoops": defining structureenclosures that can be used for casual meetings. These scoops line
the central street that gently rises up the hilltop site.
A central avenue cuts through the plan. the internal street is conceived
as a social condenser, stimulating encounter and exchange.

Figure 42 Main Navigational Spine in Abedian School of Architecture.
(Source: Archdaily.com)

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MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

THESIS 2017

Huge curving concrete walls create more private spaces off the
central corridor. They developed these concrete scoops that
run off the [central] street that are the epicentre of the entire
building, they form crit space, they're structural elements,
they're environmental chimneys, they're basically the core of the
building. So, the building is this large shed in one sense, but also
has these sorts of cages of character embedded within that.
Curving staircases suspended form the walls of two of the
scoops lead to an upper storey housing further studios nd
offices as well as lecture space, reading room and reception
suite.
Figure 43 Structure Defining Concrete Scoops become informal crit spaces
(Source: Archdaily.com)

Figure 44 Staircases in Abedian School of Architecture.
(Source: Archdaily.com)

55

THESIS 2017

Chapter 3: Precedent Study

1952. Chandigarh: Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru while laying the Foundation Stone
of the city.

Photo 7 Jawaharlal Nehru, addressing audience
at dedication of the new city of Chandigarh.
(Source: Getty Images)

“ Let this be a new town, symbolic of
freedom of India unfettered by the
traditions of the past… an expression of
the nation’s faith in the future”.

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

56

Precedents Selection

3.2 Architectural Case Studies
3.1

Parliament Library
•
•
•
•

New Delhi, India

Response to a Strong Context
Proximity to Parliamentary Functions
Security Condition
Library Typology with different kinds of users

Inferences
Pariament Library
• Response to Monumental Context.
• Building technologies in red sandstone explored fully.
• Different materials like Stainless Steel and Red Sandstone used cohesively.
• Building recedes and sinks into the Ground to not visually compete with the Parliament Building.

Figure 48 Archicomic about the Geometry
in the layout of the Capitol Complex.
(Source: Chandigarh Urban Lab)

Chapter 4: Reading the Site
“There’s always a surprise here,
like a theatre stage, it is not static.
Architecture is not sterile, but
poetry, and here are varied textures,
inventions and each building has
a story, context and reason. It is
for us to cherish it, preserve it, use
it and value it. And, I hope the
Governor’s Palace is made some day
to complete the complex,” summed
up Doshi, during a panel discussion
on the challenge of connecting
citizens of Chandigarh with the
Capitol Complex.
October 27, 2016. Chandigarh:
Balkrishna Doshi describes his
association with Le Corbusier in The
Indian Express. Parul.

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

68

4.1

THESIS 2017

Contextual Study
4.1.1. CHANDIGARH
•
•
•

Chandigarh is a city and a union territory in the northern part of India that serves as the capital
of the states of Punjab and Haryana.
The city of Chandigarh was the first planned city in India post-independence in 1947 is known
internationally for its architecture and urban design.
The master plan of the city was prepared by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier.

AREA = 114 sq. km
GEOGRAPHY = Chandigarh is a landlocked city located near the foothills of the Sivalik range of the
Himalayas in northwest India. It shares its borders with the states of Haryana and Punjab.
CLIMATE
Chandigarh enjoys an extreme climate with hot
summers (March to June) and chilly winters (November
to February). The monsoon season, though pleasant in
the evenings, is humid during the daytime. The best
season to visit Chandigarh is autumn (August to
November), when the weather is pleasant, neither too
hot, nor too cold.

Figure 49 Solar Analysis, Chandigarh
(Source: Meteoblue.com)

Figure 51 Chandigarh Location
(Source: Mapsofindia.com)

Figure 50 Climate & Rainfall, Chandigarh
(Source: Wikipedia.org)

Figure 52 Chandigarh Urban Complex Plan
(Source: Knowchandigarh.com)

69

THESIS 2017

Population
During the last 6 decades (1951-2011), Chandigarh has witnessed a population increase of more than
forty-four times with the absolute population increasing from 24,261 in 1951 to 10,54,686 in 2011.
As per Census 2011, the population of Chandigarh U.T has crossed the one million mark with its
population placed very close to that of the state of Mizoram (10,91,014). The Union Territory recorded
a population of 10,54,686 in 2011 with much lower decadal rate of increase in population with only
154051 people being added to the Chandigarh UT during the last decade.

Religion
Hinduism and Sikhism are the prominent religions of
Chandigarh followed by 80.78% and 13.11% people
respectively. Minorities are Muslims 4.87%, Christians
0.83%, Jains 0.19%, Buddhists 0.11%, those that didn't state
a religion are 0.10%, and others are 0.02%.

WIND DIRECTION

Figure 55 Wind Rose, Chandigarh
(Source: Meteoblue.com)

Languages
English is the sole official language of Chandigarh. The
majority of the population speaks Hindi (67.53%) while
Punjabi is spoken by 27.89%

4.1.1 CHANDIGARH MASTER PLAN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; LANDUSE
The Master Plan of UT Chandigarh covers an area of approximately 114 sq km. This includes the nearly fully developed 70 sq km of the area planned by
Le Corbusier and his team of which the site is a part.
The Site lies at the
head of the Plan of
Chandigarh in the
Capitol Complex
which has
government
institutional
buildings.

4.1.3.a. Architectural Control
The Edict of Chandigarh states that certain areas of Chandigarh are of
special architectural interest where harmonized and unified
composition of buildings is aimed at. In these areas, absolute
architectural and zoning controls should remain operative.
The planners of the city employed large scale aesthetic controls ranging
from urban design measures to extensive architectural controls that
prescribe volumes, outlines and skyline, forms, spatial setting, facades,
materials, textures, colours, fenestrations and even boundary wall and
gates.
These architectural controls depict the architectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interpretation
of available technology, climate, social order of the democratic nature
placed in the context of modernism.
However, the competition brief asks the designer to take a stand and
respond to Le Corbusierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy.

4.1.3.b. Controls along major arterial roads
The architectural controls for commercial and institutional buildings
were evolved for all the major arterial roads of the city - Madhya
Marg (V2), Jan Marg (V2) Dakshin Marg (V2) Himalaya Marg (V2b)
The chosen site is pierced by the Jan Marg which is V2.

4.1.3.c Parking for all types of buildings:
a) Multi level parking above the ground level shall also be allowed which
shall be free from FAR.
However, the footprint of the separate parking building block shall be
counted upto 50% of the ground coverage permissible. In this block, no
other use except parking, drivers rest room with toilet, toll centre and
any other facility which is essential for parking facility shall be allowed
subject to condition that these shall not exceed 150 sq. mtrs. per 100
ECS (Equivalent Car Space) of parking space or in multiple of that.
Other parameters such as ground coverage, height etc. for such
parking shall be governed by the existing rules for any other multi level
building.
Multi-level mechanical parking shall also be permissible for which the
norms shall be decided on case to case basis.
b) Parking along V-4, V-5 and V-6 roads shall be strictly prohibited.

4.1.3.c Typology Based Development Controls
Cultural and other non-academic institutional sites:The following volumetric controls are applicable on the project:

The controls whether commercial or institutional can be classified either
as brick structures or R.C.C structures or composite built forms.

Maximum
Coverage

The institutional buildings of plotted development which are composed of
multiple blocks of varying heights placed at angle to the avenues in order
to facilitate north lights.

Maximum Height

Ground

30%

18 metres above site level 6
metres below site level

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THESIS 2017

Basements
The following development controls are applicable for the construction of Basements:

Barrier free approach: Barrier free approach shall be compulsory in all non-residential sites in Chandigarh to facilitate
differently abled persons.
Toilets for especially abled person: Toilets for especially abled person shall be compulsory in all non-residential sites in Chandigarh to
facilitate differently abled persons.
Courtyard:
Where the minimum size of courtyard for providing light and ventilation to the basement is provided

i.e. Minimum width in all directions is 3 meters.
Lift:
Lift shall be allowed to open in basement of
buildings in Chandigarh.
Staircase:
a. Design of Staircase: - As per new fire safety
norms, minimum of two staircases are to be
provided in buildings above 15m. height.
Fire staircases shall be open to sky and
hence, shall not be counted towards FAR.
While providing the extra staircase, the
uniformity shall be maintained.
b. Location of Staircase: - The staircase in
any building shall be so located that the travel
distance on the floor shall not exceed 30 m.).
• Access to Terrace: The terrace of all
buildings in Chandigarh shall be allowed to be
accessed by staircase except marla houses.
• Service zone on terrace: Mumty to be
located within the service zone to create
refuge area in case of fire.

Figure 57 Universal Design
(Source: Medium.com)

Sr. Norms
Condition
No.
1
i.
Optional and it shall It flushes with the ground and is properly landscaped.
not be included in F.S.I.
ii.
Allowed only below the
zoned area of the plot.
2
Uses
Storage, parking, air conditioning plant lift well etc. in
addition, limited use of basement for office space with
proper arrangement of light and ventilation, fire
safety norms, circulation etc. Fulfilment of other terms
and conditions, which may be required for a
basement to be used to habitable purpose.
If sufficient parking space, as per norms, is available
within the site.
3
Toilets, pantry, labs etc. which The area of basement with habitable use shall be
require water, are not allowed counted towards maximum permissible FAR of 0.5.
in the basement.
Ramp: • The clear width of the ramp leading to the basement shall be 4.00 m with an adequate slope not less
than 1:10.
• Separate entry/exit of ramps in the basement should be provided and the ramp for basement
parking shall be allowed outside the zoned area subject to fire tender movement.
• The ramp shall be on non-slippery surface.

73

THESIS 2017

4.2.

Site Surroundings
The site is located in the Capitol Complex exactly opposite
the Geometric hill to the north and is contained between the
other edifices of Legislative Assembly and
Secretariat on one side and High court on the other.

4.2.0 CONNECTIVITY & ACCESS
It is accessed and bounded by an extension road originating
from the Jan Marg that divides the Capitol complex virtually
into two halves, and ends in an impasse.
The most important aspect of completing the Capitol
Complex is to restore civic access to the main plaza while
acknowledging the needs for security.

Figure 58 Access road, Jan Marg leading up to the Site
through the Capitol Complex. (Source: Archasm.com)

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MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

THESIS 2017

4.2.1. SITE CONTEXT
The figure-ground discloses the following conditions –
 Site is located in a coarse grain, irregular texture
surroundings of the Capitol Complex.
 At the centre is the extremely low footprint of the
Capitol Complex. This figure ground is, however,
deceptive in part, because the Secreteriat is a
unquestionably the densest object of the city by far.
 To the South is the low-density neighbourhood of the
planned city.
 To the North is the sporadic high density of the old
village cores, now much grown, accompanied by the
intermediate density of rural-sprawl.
Figure 60 Figure Ground of the Site Surroundings
(Source: Author)

During his visit to Chandigarh College
of Architecture, Hodder said the
administration should look after the city
as it was designed by one of the world’s
best architects.
“Corbusier proposed to make post
and telegraph building in Sector 17,
which was supposed to be an 11-storey
building and could have been one of
the beautiful constructions in the world,
but unfortunately the project is yet to
be planned. As per my information, he
also proposed to build a museum of
knowledge,” Hodder said.

- STEPHEN HODDER
President, RIBA on his visit to CCA in 2015

82

5.1

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

THESIS 2017

Program Components
The following would be main features of the Museum:
A Library-cum-Research Centre: This would contain of a large number of books and volumes relating to all aspects of human endeavour, with the special
focus on settlements. It would be a repository of all information on the subject, wherever available, printed form, or on the internet, or through access to
digital libraries across the world. It would also contain modern audio-video aids and DVDs etc. The Library would have facilities for seating of up to 500
people, as also terminals for access to the internet. It would also consist of servers, computers, storage devices and displays and would access Resource
Centres and Libraries of the World, thus making it a Centre for Research.
Conference Facilities: These would be on the pattern of those available elsewhere and would be available to organizations which would carry out
debates/discussions/seminars on relevant areas. They would not be available for commercial/marketing events. These facilities would be state of the art
and would be designed for gatherings of 50 to 250 people.
Dining Facilities: Simple dining facilities would be provided, to enable discussions in a non-formal, social setting.

5.1.1. AUDITORIUM
Auditorium is a highly public, people-intensive component attracting a large no. of people.

5.1.2. DIGITAL LIBRARY
Libraries perform a range of function in society. Academic libraries, obtain, collect and store literature for education and research purposes.
In academic libraries, reference rooms are provided. There may counters for loans from the closed stacks and free access to the open magazines,
books or separately presented educational material in reading rooms.
Library should clearly declare building function, and the welcoming lobby should reduce entry of noise/draughts. Provide visual stimulation here.
Adequate control needed to prevent high losses of books etc. Through exist some have had to use electronic detectors.

LIBRARY

Book
Security

Reading
Zones

Reference
Section

Library
Management

Digital
Library

Audio Visual
Library

Book Store
& Cafe

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THESIS 2017

5.1.3. KNOWLEDGE CENTER
This is a crucial component of the museum of Knowledge. It consists of Research & Development Laboratories, Innovation Centres, Discussion Rooms
and Lecture Halls, all programmatic elements associated with the activities involved in pursuit and dissemination of knowledge.

KNOWLEDGE
CENTRE

R&D
Laboratories

Innovation
Centers

Discussion
Rooms

Lecture Halls

Seminar
Rooms

Workshops

Figure 66 Components of Knowledge Center. Source: Author)

5.1.4. MUSEUM
A museum is an institution that cares for (conserves) a collection of artefacts and other objects of
artistic, cultural, historical or scientific importance and makes them available for public viewing
through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary.

MUSEUM

Exhibition
halls

Galleries

Demonstration
Kiosks

Archives
Season

Ticketing
Counter

Information
Centre

Storage

Figure 67 Components of Museum. Source: Author)

Purpose:
The purpose of modern museums is to collect, preserve, interpret, and display items of artistic,
cultural, or scientific significance for the education of the public. The purpose can also depend on
oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point of view.
Types of museums:Types of museums vary, from large institutions, covering many of the categories
below, to very small institutions focusing on a specific subject, location, or a notable person.

Areas of Research:
A theoretical as well as practical key issue in
the design of art museum and galleries is
how the layout of space interacts with the
layout of objects to realise a specific effect,
express the intended message or create a
richer spatial structure. To fully understand
this interaction entails answering three
critical questions: Does the spatial design
makes a difference, and if so, what kind of
difference? How does it relate to the
curatorial intent? What dimensions of our
experience of museums are determined by
the way galleries and objects are organized
spatially

The Capitol Complex is currently inaccessible to a majority of the citizens of Chandigarh and tourists from all over the world. A road currently leads to the
proposed site of the Museum of knowledge at 15 feet below the grade of the upper plaza. Because this road is 15 feet below grade, it is not considered a
security threat. By creating a publicly accessible plaza from the road and in front of the site of the museum, the public can visit the complex without
compromising the security of the plaza.

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

88

Inferences
PARKING
•

Parking should be placed outside building as we face a
height restriction.

LEVELS
•

Can be exploited to provide Security Solution.

•

Can be used to separate intertwined functions and place
them in adjacency.

PROGRAMMATIC FUNCTIONS
•

Conference facilities is a big function that could be housed in a Separate Block.

Photo 15 View of the Assembly Building from inside
the Tower of Shadows.
(Source: Chandigarh Urban Lab)

Chapter 6: Technology
“The truthfulness of materials of
constructions, concrete, bricks
and stone, shall be maintained
in all buildings constructed or
to be constructed. The seed of
Chandigarh is well sown. It is for
the citizens to see that the tree
flourishes.
LE CORBUSIER
“The Edict of Chandigarh,” 1959

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

90

Services

6.1
6.1.1. HVAC

HVAC: Heating, Ventilation and Airconditioning
Air-conditioning is a function of which primary
objective is to maintain desired conditions
within a space those are conducive to human
comfort or required by a product or process. In
this process both temperature and humidity
are to be maintained. Both temperature and
humidity vary with the type of applications
required. For example, desired temperature
and humidity requirement for a hospital
building will be different from an office building
or a manufacturing facility center. (Gary D.
Beckfeld, 2012)
CHOSEN HVAC TREATMENT: Variable
Refrigerant Flow/Volume System
(VRF/VRV)
Variable refrigerant flow is an HVAC
technology invented in Japan by Daikin
company in 1982.
Like ductless mini splits, VRFs use refrigerant
as the cooling and heating medium. This
refrigerant is
conditioned by a single outdoor condensing
unit, and is circulated within the building to
multiple fan-coil units (FCUs).
By operating at varying speeds, VRF units
work only at the needed rate allowing for
substantial energy savings at partial-load
conditions.

WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS
1. In a low rise building where the number of floors is 3-4 floors. Water has
enough pressure that it can rise to the height of individual units and
pressurised water can come out of the taps. This pressure depends on
the distance from local water tower or local pumping station.
2. In a high rise building there are 2 different options adopted. in one of
them, there is a water motor installed at a building level which pumps the
water to every floor.
3. In other one, there is a receiving tank on the ground floor which supply
water to the water pump which pushes the water to an over head tank.
This tank is installed individually. From these individual tanks water is
supplied to that particular unit.
4. In case of a building which is designed for fire safety, there is a fire tank
installed from which wet rises and sprinklers are attached. Water comes
to this fire tank first and the surplus water in transferred to the supply
overhead tank. Fire tank should be filled all the time with fresh water.

DRAINAGE SYSTEM: MODIFIED SINGLE STACK SYSTEM
• Close grouping of the sanitary appliances  install the branch waste and soil pipes without the
need for individual branch ventilating pipes.
• To prevent the loss of trap water seals
•  WC branch pipe min. 100 mm bore and the angle θ = 90.5° to 95°.
• To prevent the loss of trap water seals
•
 basin main waste pipe min. 50 mm bore and the angle θ = 91° to 92.5°.
•
Five basins or more / length of the main waste pipe exceeds 4.5 m  a 25 mm bore vent pipe
connected to main waste pipe at a point between the two basins farthest from the stack.

6.3.1. BUILT FORM & ORIENTATION
The use of natural lighting in a building is one of the most important
elements as the sun is an endless source of light energy to us and should
be utilised properly. This can be done by
•
Natural light from the north
and south is preferred as the sun is
vertical when it is in the south and
there is no direct sun from the north.

Figure 12 Orientation #1 is worst for
daylighting, #3 is good, and #2 is best.

•
Form of the building should be
broken to allow max day light
throughout the form also any areas
deeper than about 7.5m in the
building do not allow natural light
from the windows to reach.

A common rule of thumb states that the window to wall ratio should be
40% or lower for
adequate insulation in
cold climates, though
more
advanced
windows with higher Rvalues (lower U-values)
allow higher ratios. In
warm climates, higher
ratios
can
be
acceptable
even
without well-insulated
windows, as long as the
windows
are
well
shaded from the sun's Figure 76 Window to wall Ratios
(Source: greenbuildingstrategies.com)
heat.
Skylights and light wells can be used to increase the day lighting factor in
building areas, which cannot be easily laminated with direct light.

Figure 75 Cutouts in building’s footprint for daylighting.
(Source: greenbuildingstrategies.com)
There must be climate responsive window to wall area ratio that must be
considered while designing fenestrations in the buildings.
Figure 13 Cutouts in a building's footprint can provide good daylighting

Thick Building Mass needs Atrium/ Light shaft so that light goes
till center of the Building in all floors.

THESIS 2017

97

THESIS 2017

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fatehpur Sikri, Golconda, and Mandu
must have been foreign to their times,
but are today woven flawlessly into the
Indian fabric. Will that then also be the
fate of Chandigarh?â&#x20AC;? (Prakash, 2002)
- VIKRAMADITYA PRAKASH

Photo 16 Facade of the Secretatiat Building at Chandigarh
(Source: Flickr.com)

- The Function / Purpose of the Building is to be
derived from studying what the city of
Chandigarh needs today.

- The Location of the Building ensures that the
building will receive the desired footfall.

- Design has to contigous with the Modernistic
tradition limiting the scope for Experimentation

SWOT
THREAT
- Security Concerns - The Capitol Complex
serves various democratic buildings and its
security must not be compromised.
- Architectural Disjunction between the existing
language reinforced in every building and
monument and new design can occur if desing is
not done in a sensitive manner

OPPORTUNITY
- Rejuvenate the dead space in Sector - 1,
Chandigarh around the Capitol Complex.
- Intensify the democratic principles of the
Capitol complex by incorporating the civil
society inside the MoK.
- Contemplating the importance of Le
Corbusier's version of modern architecture in
present time.

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THESIS 2017

7.2.

Design Determinants

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THESIS 2017

101

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MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

Inferences
FLEXIBILITY
•

Open, flexible spaces that flow are required especially in Library.

•

Multipurpose spaces are needed for different type of events.

FUNCTIONS ON GROUND FLOOR
•

Each bulding function should have a clear relationship from the
Ground floor.

•

Library Book Collection Facility should be on Ground Floor,

REFERENCE DESKS
•

Each floor needs reference desk because the building is a multi
- use building.

Chapter 8: Design Development
There was anxiety and anguish in taking
decisions on that vast, limitless ground.
A pathetic soliloquy! I had to appreciate
and to decide alone. The problem
was no longer one of reasoning but of
sensation....
No potterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clay in your hands to
experiment with. No Marquette that
could ever have served as a genuine
aid to a decision. It was a tension,
mathematical in nature, which would
bear fruit only when the buildings
were completed. The right point. The
right distance. Appreciation. Groping,
we brought the masts closer to one
another. It was a battle of space fought
within the mind. (Prakash, 2002)
-Le Corbusier

Infinity Loop of Knowledge
Massing block becomes thinner.
2 Blocks on Ground that transform to one block
2 Courtyards in two blocks formed.

105

THESIS 2017

FORM 3: FINAL
Levels of Knowledge
• Massing changes on every floor to create shaded
courts on the floors below.
• 2 Block Typology has fully manifested in this form
with Conference Facilities contained in one block
and other functions of the Knowledge Center and
Museum in One Block.
• Library is on the Uppermost floor of both Blocks.
• Courtyards have given way to shaded courts.

Figure 81 Programmatic Zoning
(Source: Author)

Figure 80 The Final Form
(Source: Author)

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MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

Inferences
SPLIT LEVEL DESIGN
•

Two block typology is achieved on a split level.

•

Connecting ramps are externally visible highlghting circulation.

COURTS AS OPEN SPACES
•

Upper court acts as the entrance court.

•

Lower court terraces centered around the food component.

MASSING
•

Staggered Massing is achieved by lifting the block by one grid
on each floor achieving a part pilotis.

THESIS 2017

107

THESIS 2017

Chandigarh is not a city of lords, princes
or kings confined within walls, crowded
in by neighbors. It was a matter of
occupying a plain. The geometrical
event was, in truth, a sculpture of the
intellect. (Prakash, 2002)

Secretariat Terrace
(Source: The Architectural Review)

LE CORBUSIER

Photo 18 View of the Capitol Complex from

Figure 7 Archicomic about the Geometry
in the layout of the Capitol Complex.
(Source: Chandigarh Urban Lab)

Chapter 9: Design Drawings

108

9.1

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

Context Plan

THESIS 2017

109

THESIS 2017

9.2

Site Plan

110

9.3

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

Ground Floor Plan

THESIS 2017

111

THESIS 2017

9.4

Basement Plan

112

9.5

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

First & Second Floor Plan

THESIS 2017

113

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9.4

Third & Terrace Floor Plan

114

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MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

Sections

THESIS 2017

115

THESIS 2017

9.6

Elevation & 3D

116

9.7.

MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

Model Photographs

THESIS 2017

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117

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MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE: COMPLETING THE CAPITOL

Detail Model

THESIS 2017

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Conclusion
Q & A WITH
S.K. DAS (SKD) &
ASHOK B. LALL (ABL)

The primary objective of the MoK project
was fulfilled by the design by providing
a

building

which

can

become

a

comprehensive cultural resource of the
highest standard and latest technology.
The design effectively solves the security
problem by allowing people to become
a part of the Capitol Complex once
again without posing a danger to the
high-security needs of the Goverment
buildings around it. The building thus,
promotes an environment to facilitate
research and exchange knowledge.

JURY
Comments
9.8

125

THESIS 2017

Q

ABL: For me, the relationship of

The approach that I took was

Efforts were made so that the

the buildings could have been

similar by going for a subdued

visual connection between the

played with. Somehow the de-

design that sits in awe of its

two coursts can be established

sign lacks a gesture that like

monumental context. I think

by providing large openings in

Corbusian buildings possess.

the issue here is that people

the shear wall supporting the

Thats an area where I would ex-

do not or cannot come here to

ramp that connects the upper

pect you to work further. Spa-

experience this place. Thus, the

block and the lower block. The

tial Modernity. Also in the Roof

whole solution was designed

ramp does not coonect from

Garden design you seem to

to provide acces of people to

the ground floor of the upper

have led the people there but it

the Capitol complex without

block to the first floor of the

lacks a roof design feature that

endangering the functions that

lower block to ensure clear

gives it a language. Talking to

the complex already sustains.

passage to the lower court from

the other buildings, the scale of
the Governor’s Palace was quite
high, so how do you reach out

Q

to the other buildings?

the entrance court.

SKD: I do not like the divider

And

between the two courts. The
Pilotis

idea

that

you

A

In his book, Chandigarh’s Le
Corbusier:

The

Struggle

Prakash

was shaping up to be the grand
masterpiece

of

the

Capitol

without

free

the

sloped

encountering

any

physical barriers.

courts.

posits

that since the Assembly building

physical

from one court to the other

movement between the two

for

Modernity in Postcolonial India,
Vikramaditya

ensured

the

landscaping leads you directly

off the ground in succession
have

for

connection

have

incorporated by lifting the block
should

as

A

I completely agree with you.
This was an active concern
during

the

design

that

the

COmplex, the design of the MoK

relationship of the two courts

became subdued compared to

doesn’t

the Governor’s Palace.

because of the level difference

become

between the two.

disjuncted

!

ABL: Well, it was good take on
a complex problem. All the best
for the future!